Refrigerating apparatus



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Z3 vd/ M. J. GOULOOZE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 30, 1954 Oct. 27, 1936.

INVENTOR. liqzgw/r J 4001,0025

ATTORNEY.

BY a. M

Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED. STATES REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Martin J. Goulooze, Grand Rapids, ,Mich assignor to Kelvinator Corporation; Detroit,

Mich., a corporation Application March 30,

and more particularly to a shelf and tray construction therefor, it being the principal object to provide a refrigerator cabinet with a slidable 5 service tray and a supporting shelf, so arranged that the tray will not obstruct circulation within the cabinet.

Another object is to provide a refrigerator cabinet with atray supported on the bottom of the 10 food compartment, but spaced therefrom and supporting a service tray in such maner that the tray will not interfere withcirculation within the compartment.

With the above and other objects in view, the 16 present invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed.

In the drawing which illustrates a suitable 1 em- 20 bodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet, showing the shelf and tray construction disposed therein;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspec- 25 tive view of the cabinet, showing the tray in partially withdrawn position;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of the cabinet, showing the shelf and tray in front elevation;

Figure 4 is a section taken approximately on line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section taken approximately on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the accompanying drawing in 35 which like numerals refer to like parts throughout theseveral views, the shelf A is supported within the refrigerator cabinet II on the bottom wall ill of the food compartment, and may be of any suitable construction. However, I have 4 shown the shelf, for the purposes of illustration, as comprising a frame formed from a single piece of bar material. The frame as here shown comprises a pair of spaced front and rear horizontal portions l2 and I3 respectively having 45 down turned end portions 14, and in which each end portion I4 of the front portion I2 is integrally connected with the corresponding end portions of the rear portion I3 by a side portion l5. The side portions l seat on the bottom wall I0 50 of food compartment as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and space the shelf surface above the bottom wall Ill. The shelf surface is preferably comprised of a plurality of spaced bars i6 extending 55 between and suitably, secured to the horizontal of Michigan 1934, Serial No. 718,189 (Cl. 211-143) front and rear portions 12 and B3 to permit free circulation within the food compartment.

The shelf is removably supported on the bottom wall In of the food compartment but in order to prevent inadvertent displacement of the same in the direction of the cabinet door opening, the depending portions 14 of the rear end portion 13 are connected by a horizontally extending strip I! arranged to be disposed rearwardly of a pair of upwardly extending fingers or projections I8 secured to the bottom wall Hi adjacent to the rear wall 19 of the cabinet as shown in Figures 4 and'5. Obviously, however, other means for holding the shelf A against inadvertent forward movement may be employed.

The service tray 20 which may be of dished form as shown in Figures 2 and. 4 or of other suitable shape, is slidably supported as previously mentioned, on the shelf. In order to accomplish this, the shelf is provided with a pair of spaced horizontal guides 22 having bent end portions 2| securely welded to the depending end portions M as shown in Figures 2 and 5 so that the service tray 20 may be slidably supported thereon.

The service tray 20 is therefore supported on the shelf in spaced relation with respect to the bottom wall IU of the food compartment and is arranged to be slidably removed from the shelf and also to be disposed beneath the shelf surface composed of the bars I6 when itis not desired to use the same.

The shelf and tray are also so arranged adjacent thebottom of the food compartment that the tray when disposed beneath the shelf, will not interfere with circulation within the food compartment and also will not interfere with the circulation about and below articles that may be supported by the tray supporting shelf.

The shelf, while'it is shown as comprising a. single piece frame and horizontal bars l6 may be of any suitable construction having its supporting surface supported on the bottom of the food compartment in spaced relation to provide a space adjacent the bottom for the reception of the service tray 20.

The tray 20 may be partially withdrawn and utilized as a rearranging tray for receiving articles while other articles are being placed on or removed from or rearranged on the other refrigerator shelves or it may be utilized primarily as a service tray capable of being bodily removed from its supporting shelf.

It is to be clearly understood that minor and obvious changes may be made in the embodiment shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1.- In a combined service tray shelf unit the combination of a horizontal shelf member adapted to be mounted in the food storage compartment of a refrigerator, a service tray slidably supported on said shelf member below the horizontal surface thereof and arranged to permit free circulation within the compartment and about said shelf member, said shelf member comprising a one piece frame composed of spaced horizontal end portions, each having depending portions, and horizontal portions extending between the depending portions at each side of the shelf and adapted to seatv on the bottom of said compartment, a service tray guide member secured between the depending portions on each side in parallel relation spaced above each of said horizontal portions, a plurality of article a supporting members extending between and secured to said horizontal end portions, and a bar extending between the rearmost depending portions, and means in free engagement with said last mentioned bar for preventing movement of said shelf member during withdrawal of sai service tray from. said shelf.

2. In a combined service tray shelf unit, the combination of a horizontal shelf member adapted to be mounted in the food storage compartment of a refrigerator, said shelf member comprising a one-piece frame composed of spaced horizontal end portions, each having depending portions, horizontal portions extending between the depending portions at each side of the shelf and adapted to fit on the bottom of said com partment, a service tray guide member secured between the depending portions on each side in parallel relation spaced above each of said horizontal portions, said guide members having curved end portions for projecting the guide portions inwardly towards each other, a service tray slidably supported between said guide members, a plurality of article supporting members comprising substantially parallel rods extending between and secured to said horizontal end portions, a bar extending between the rearmost depending portions and means in free engagement with said last mentioned bar for preventing movement of said shelf member during withdrawal of said service tray from said shelf.

MARTIN J. GOULOOZE. 

